UK women open at home, U of L, IU on road in NCAA Tournament

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The University of Louisville and Indiana University women’s basketball teams will start the 2025 NCAA Tournament Friday on the road.

But the University of Kentucky women earned a national seed in the first year for coach Kenny Brooks and will open in Lexington Friday.

The 68-team field was announced Sunday evening — and coach Jeff Walz and the Cardinals earned a 7-seed and a likely second-round game in Fort Worth, Texas against an old friend — former Cardinal Hailey Van Lith.

Of course, the Cards (21-10) will have to win their tournament opener against Nebraska (21-11). If the Cards win, they’ll get either Van Lith and TCU or Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday.

The Cards were placed in a bracket that feeds into Birmingham, Alabama the following weekend.

Kentucky (22-7) earned a 4-seed in a bracket that would direct the Wildcats to Spokane, Washington, if the Wildcats win their first two games.

Kentucky will open Friday against Liberty, champions of the Conference USA, at Memorial Coliseum. Lexington will be a hectic place this weekend because men’s tournament games will be played in Rupp Arena on Thursday and Saturday.

A victory over the Flames would give UK a second-round game against Kansas State or Fairfield. If Kentucky wins its sub-regional, the Wildcats would likely play USC and national player of the year JuJu Watkins in Spokane.

Indiana (19-12) will return to the tournament as a 9-seed. The Hoosiers will travel to Columbia, S.C. IU is matched against Utah.

If coach Teri Moren’s team wins its opener, the Hoosiers figure to play regional host South Carolina, which opens against Tennessee Tech.

Indiana lost to South Carolina, 79-75, in the Sweet Sixteen last season. Dawn Staley coached the Gamecocks to the national championship last season.

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